Blazers Guard Earns Massive Responsibility From HC Chauncey Billups

Matt Levine | 2 Hours Ago

The Portland Trail Blazers have looked much more competitive to start the new NBA season, holding a record of 6-8 through their first 14 games. While they have suffered some poor losses, Portland has also taken down a few of the better teams in the league.

The Trail Blazers likely won't be competing for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference but they can show growth on the court. After all, this entire season is about the development of their younger players as Portland tries to get back to a place of contention.

One of the better players that Portland has on its roster is guard Shaedon Sharpe. Sharpe has emerged as a solid scorer for the Trail Blazers and he has made waves with the coaching staff.

Head coach Chauncey Billups has raved about Sharpe, even going as far as to say that the team depends on him.

“I just expect so much out of him, and we all do because he’s just good,” Billups said. “But sometimes I got to kind of get after him a little bit just to let him know how good he is and how important he is to us... And he loves that we depend on him to do some of those things,” Billups said. “And the more that happens, the more he will get used to it.”

Sharpe has only played in five games this season as he missed the first part of the season due to injury. But he has started to find his footing of late and has helped Portland put a solid product out on the floor.

He is averaging 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.6 steals per game. As he gets more comfortable this season, Sharpe could see his numbers increase even more.

The third-year guard has impressed with his ability to score the basketball, giving Portland a true offensive weapon to use. Opposing teams have to know where he is on the floor at all times and the Trail Blazers tend to use this to their advantage.

While Sharpe isn't a star in the league just yet, Portland views him in that manner. Billups trusts him to get the job done on the floor and that is one of the biggest compliments that a young player can have from a head coach.

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